Cowboys Cutting Cooper Rush to Sign Andy Dalton Will Come Back to Bite Them
By Jerry Trotta
The Dallas Cowboys' surprise signing of Andy Dalton has come at a price.
On Monday, ESPN insider Adam Schefter was first to report that the team cut backup quarterback Cooper Rush to make room on the roster for the former Cincinnati Bengal. The team later confirmed the news.
The @dallascowboys signed free agent QB Andy Dalton (Texas Christian) and waived QB Cooper Rush (Central Michigan) on Monday.
— Dallas Cowboys Public Relations (@DallasCowboysPR) May 4, 2020
This is a questionable move by Dallas considering that Dalton isn't the long-term play behind Dak Prescott. The 32-year-old signed a one-year deal, and you have to think that 2020 will be his only season with the Cowboys barring something truly unforeseen.
By the time the Cincinnati Bengals released Dalton, the market for starting quarterbacks was barren. That narrative will change in a big way come 2021, and the three-time Pro Bowler, who still has years left to give as a starter in the NFL, will certainly be looking for greener pastures once this season is over.
Dalton choosing to return to Texas (where he played college ball at TCU) for a year doesn't mean he's punting the rest of his career to be Prescott's backup.
The #Cowboys waived QB Cooper Rush & officially signed backup QB Andy Dalton to his 1-year, $3M deal. His $4M available in incentives are broken up into regular season playing time, making the playoffs & playing time in the playoffs. If he simply backs up 16 games, he makes $3M.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 4, 2020
Rush has completed just three passes since signing with Dallas as an undrafted free agent in 2017, but that just speaks volumes to Prescott's durability. The Central Michigan product has shown promise in preseason action, however, so it doesn't make a ton of sense to move on from him after rostering him for three years. That fact alone proves that the Cowboys did believe in the 26-year-old.
Dallas has better hope that seventh-round selection Ben DiNucci is the answer as a second-stringer in 2021 and beyond. If not, cutting Rush will end up hurting this franchise.